Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 622 · 40 questions

Engineer's tip (Triangles stay put): Triangles are rigid; trusses, towers and frames use them. A pin-jointed frame with n sides needs n − 3 corner-to-corner braces; a row of n triangles uses 2n + 1 straws. Arches squeeze (compression); beams span gaps; domes are arches turned round in a circle.

1. 1.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 13 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
2. 2.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) arch (d) beam
3. 3.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a planetarium roof (b) an electric pylon (c) a truss bridge side (d) an old stone bridge
4. 4.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) square (b) hexagon (c) rectangle (d) triangle
5. 5.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a round palace roof (c) a truss bridge side (d) a shelf on two brackets
6. 6.True or false: an igloo uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
7. 7.🔺 A flat frame has 4 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
8. 8.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) triangle (d) dome
9. 9.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 9 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
10. 10.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is hollow (b) it is very light (c) it works in compression (d) it bends easily
11. 11.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
12. 12.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
13. 13.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
14. 14.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) make it bigger (b) paint it (c) take off a side (d) add a diagonal brace
15. 15.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an igloo (b) a crane arm (c) a bicycle frame (d) a shelf on two brackets
16. 16.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an electric pylon (b) a fort gateway (c) an igloo (d) a truss bridge side
17. 17.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) stretched (tension) (b) not affected (c) squeezed (compression) (d) floating
18. 18.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a plank over a drain (b) an electric pylon (c) a lintel over a door (d) an old stone bridge
19. 19.🔺 A flat frame has 7 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
20. 20.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam
21. 21.True or false: a slab over a canal uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
22. 22.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 1 triangle standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
23. 23.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a planetarium roof (c) a fort gateway (d) a roof truss
24. 24.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
25. 25.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
26. 26.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a round palace roof (c) a crane arm (d) an igloo
27. 27.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a fort gateway (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) an electric pylon (d) a plank over a drain
28. 28.True or false: a planetarium roof uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
29. 29.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
30. 30.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a round palace roof (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a bicycle frame
31. 31.True or false: a roof truss uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
32. 32.True or false: a plank over a drain uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
33. 33.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
34. 34.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
35. 35.🔺 A frame shaped like a square is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 1 corner-to-corner brace. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) wobbly (b) rigid
36. 36.True or false: a bicycle frame uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
37. 37.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
38. 38.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) arch (d) beam
39. 39.🔺 A flat frame has 11 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
40. 40.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 5 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?

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